Huawei organized a visit to a 5G farm in Austria for students of the Faculty of Agricultural and Biotechnology Sciences Osijek

Huawei Technologies Croatia organized a visit to a 5G farm for students of the Faculty of Agricultural and Biotechnology Sciences Osijek (FAZOS) and presented how their 5G and IoT technologies can enhance sustainability in agriculture.

Huawei, in collaboration with Dronetech, Austria’s largest drone service provider, is developing sustainable agriculture in Austria based on 5G technology. The collaboration is entering its second phase called 'Digital Sky'.

Huawei will provide cloud computing services on top of 5G, which will serve as a foundation for real-time artificial intelligence analysis. Meanwhile, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, Dronetech’s drones will explore the land and objects to capture images and data that will be processed by artificial intelligence and immediately provide users with useful findings.

– The Faculty of Agricultural and Biotechnology Sciences Osijek aims to be a leader in precision agriculture and develop new technologies in agricultural production. We actively participate in the digital transformation of society and rural areas. We also want to be leaders in managing natural resources and renewable energy sources, and the collaboration between Huawei and Dronetech represents the most innovative combination of technology and agriculture – emphasized Prof. Dr. Krunoslav Zmaić, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Biotechnology Sciences Osijek.

Technology helps farmers detect small insects, monitor crop status, and predict harvests, enabling them to optimize the use of water, chemicals, and pesticides precisely, with minimal waste.

– The development of new technologies also enables smart agricultural development, so it is great that Croatian students have the opportunity to see how this synergy looks in practice firsthand. I believe that in the future, this first generation of digital agriculture students will be the drivers of innovation and, in collaboration with technologically advanced companies, position Croatia high on the excellence rankings – said Tugomir Majdak, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, who also visited the 5G farm with the students.

In the second phase, the project also plans to develop access to a sharing economy for drone services. Users from various sectors, including farmers, municipalities, companies, or individuals, can rent drones and their AI solutions for a wide range of applications, such as inspecting solar panels, traffic management, or detecting wear on electrical lines.

– We are extremely proud to have supported the development of young ICT talents for many years, as well as the digitalization of agriculture. Huawei aims to strengthen cooperation with the academic community that contributes to the digital transformation of society as a whole, and we hope that students return from this trip enriched with new knowledge, experiences, and motivation for the future – said Zhang Qiming, General Director of Huawei Technologies Croatia.

The biggest challenge for introducing 5G-supported drones in agriculture is network coverage. Currently, 5G networks are primarily designed for end users who are mostly at ground level or indoors. High-quality coverage for drones, which routinely fly 50 meters above the ground, has yet to be developed.